HOCKEY FEVER: Des Moines Ready For Wild

HOCKEY FEVER: Des Moines Ready For Wild

This weekend, Des Moines will take its third shot at bringing a professional hockey team to Iowa.

The Iowa Wild hits the ice for the inaugural season Saturday. It’s the first AHL team in Des Moines in four years.

Players trained with the Minnesota Wild last month, but the Iowa roster has been filling up in the last few weeks.

It took four months to get the franchise up and running this season. It normally takes more than a year for most organizations to get ready.

Fans got a first peak at the wild at a scrimmage last week. They told team leaders they are ready for hockey to make a home in Des Moines

“I think it is a good hockey town. There’s been support for hockey in the state of Iowa. I think this is the next step bringing in a professional team,” says fan Scott Ismond. “I think having a relationship with a team like Minnesota makes sense.”

The first puck drops Saturday night at 7:05 at Wells Fargo Arena.

The Wild play again at home Sunday at 4:05 p.m. They play 38 home games this season.